Digital Entrepreneurship in Africa

Africa’s progress in entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and its young population lays a solid foundation for achieving the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union Agenda 2063. To accomplish their goals, the countries of Africa will need to continue to develop Africa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, engage in more sustainable and productive growth, capitalize on the transformative power of smartphones and digital technologies and harness the development potential of its bulging youth population.

Enhancing digital resources and creating the right ecosystem for digital transformation can strengthen digital entrepreneurship and contribute to sustainable development in Africa.

The Digital Entrepreneurship in Africa report is jointly prepared by UNDP’s Istanbul International Centre for Private Sector in Development, UNDP Africa Sustainable Finance Hub, African Union Commission, and HP Foundation. The report highlights the untapped potential, key challenges, and opportunities for digital entrepreneurship in Africa. It utilizes a systematic sectoral approach to recommend priority sectors.

The report showcases examples in each of these key sectors. Examples show that digital entrepreneurs are making significant impacts on Africa’s development aspirations, and are contributing to the achievement of the SDGs and African Union Agenda 2063 through EdTech, FinTech, HealthTech, and AgriTech.

Fifteen recommendations are offered as ‘next steps’ to strengthen digital entrepreneurship, promote skills training, and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063 in Africa.

For more information: https://www.undp.org/policy-centre/istanbul/publications/digital-entrepreneurship-africa

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